WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--If love makes the world go around then 2014 should be twice as nice for
America’s tens of millions of banana fans.

Last year, Dole’s
nationwide Peel
the Love Tourhanded out 107,703 recipe samples made from
DOLE® Bananas at 147 tour stops at supermarkets, special
events and other local venues. But for Dole, the world’s top producer of
fruits and vegetables, 2013 was just the start of a multiyear road
journey to get Americans to eat more bananas, pineapples and other
fruits and vegetables – and have fun doing it.

At the request of retailers and consumers nationwide, Dole and Blue
Diamond Almond Breeze are launching two simultaneous Peel
the Love Banana Cabana Toursin 2014. The tour will
reacquaint Americans with the fun, whimsy and versatility of bananas and
offer compelling new ways to add fresh produce to summer meals,
snacking, parties and entertaining plans. Thanks to separate tours
launching Memorial Day Weekend covering the Eastern and Western portions
of the U.S., Dole will be able to visit banana fans in 26 cities by
Labor Day.

“Last year, our Peel the Love Tour took the eating-healthy-can-be-fun
message to banana lovers in 10 cities across the country,” said Bil
Goldfield, Dole Fresh Fruit Company’s director of corporate
communications. “But almost from the start, consumers and retailers
wanted more. So, we’re doubling the love in 2014 to help meet untapped
demand for recipes, serving suggestions and other tangible ways to put
the ‘fun’ back in summer produce.”

Organized by DOLE®
Bananas and co-sponsored by Blue
Diamond Almond Breeze® Almondmilk,the
two caravans will depart New York City and Dallas simultaneously on May
26 to deliver the message of tasty nutrition to local supermarkets,
public events and venues in 26 cities in 21 states over 104 days. The
colorfully wrapped Tour vehicles and “Banana Cabanas” will offer banana
recipes, recipe booklets, product samples, banana-themed kid’s activity
sheets and other free giveaways. A full Tour schedule will be posted in
April at www.dole.com/peelthelove.

For the first time, visitors at each Peel the Love Banana CabanaTour
stop can present a grocery receipt showing a DOLE® Bananas
qualifying purchase to receive a complimentary gift such as a
commemorative DOLE® hat, T-shirt or other branded item. Also
new for 2014 is a focus on other tropical fruits including DOLE®
Pineapples. Visitors at select Tour stops can learn how to peel and cut
a pineapple from a live demonstration and enjoy fresh-cut DOLE®
Pineapple samples.

The Eastern Tour will depart from New York City and visit New Jersey;
Philadelphia; Baltimore; Virginia; Raleigh, N.C.; Columbia, S.C.;
Jacksonville, Fla.; Alabama; Mississippi; St. Louis; Des Moines, Iowa;
and Minneapolis.

“We’re delighted to partner again with Dole in 2014. Peel the Love is
the perfect fit for Blue Diamond since we’re also committed to showing
consumers that summer eating can be nutritious, delicious and fun,” said
Suzanne Hagener, group marketing manager of Blue Diamond Almond Breeze®.
“Through the Tour recipes that feature Almond Breeze®, we
hope to prove that almond milk is a convenient and nutritious
alternative to traditional milk options, and it tastes great. The tour
will feature Almond Breeze in several recipes that are not only
delicious, but also fit with a healthy lifestyle, which we believe is
important.”

The dual Peel the Love Banana Cabana Tours are part of DOLE®
Bananas Peel the Love, a multiyear initiative to remind
Americans about the fun and nutritional significance of the world’s most
popular fruit, and encourage greater consumption of fresh fruits and
vegetables overall. In addition to showcasing new recipes and serving
suggestions, Dole will engage with the more than 1 million DOLE®
Banana and Blue Diamond Almond Breeze® social media fans.

Like last year, Dole will continue to educate registered dieticians
(RDs), supermarket nutritionists, food bloggers and other influencers
through media appearances, tastings and educational summits.

Banana lovers can learn more about 2014 Peel the Love, including
recipes, Banana Cabana Tour stops and other details at www.dole.com/peelthelove.
A full Peel the Love Banana Cabana Tour schedule will be posted in the
spring.

Blue Diamond Growers is the world’s largest almond marketer and
processor. It is responsible for developing the industry and opening
world markets over 100 years ago when Spain and Italy were the major
producers of almonds. While the U.S. market is the largest single market
for almonds, over 70 percent of them are exported to 95 countries
worldwide. Almonds are California’s largest food export and they rank
among the top ten food exports in America. California produces over 80
percent of the world’s supply.

About DOLE Bananas

DOLE® Bananas are the top-selling banana in America and the
world — in both conventional and organic product categories. From its
founding by James Drummond Dole, the company has built its reputation on
a ceaseless commitment to quality. Today, the DOLE® brand
stands for more than 150 years of quality produce — and the world’s
largest supplier of fresh fruits and vegetables, including bananas. Dole
strives to grow, produce, harvest, transport and distribute its bananas
and other produce in the most environmentally and socially conscious way
possible. Dole Fresh Fruit Company is based in Westlake Village, Calif.

About Dole Food Company, Inc.

Dole
Food Company, Inc. is one of the world’s largest producers and
marketers of high-quality fresh fruit and fresh vegetables, Dole is an
industry leader in many of the products it sells, as well as in
nutrition education and research. For more information, please visit www.dole.com.